The Start of Something New
by southernbookgirl
Summary: This is an extended re-imagining of the first chapter of "Genius Has Its Limits". While we've how Toby and Happy struggled with their feelings for one another on the show, how it would play out between two people placed in a situation neither one wanted to be in? Originally posted for Tumblr "Scorpion Secret Santa" challenge as a gift for Esther (a.k.a. "owmyquintis").


_A/N:_ _I listen to way too much music for my own good. NF's songs "Can You Hold Me (ft. Britt Nicole)" and "Wait," Disney Channel movies, and the Densi dynamic from NCIS: LA were inspirations to me as I wrote. I h_ _ope you enjoy it, and a belated Christmas and blessed New Year to you all!_

* * *

 _Sometimes, you just can't tell anybody how you really feel. Not because you don't know why. Not because you don't know your purpose. Not because you don't trust them. But because you can't find the right words to make them understand_. ~Unknown

 _Move-In Day_ , _mid-August_

"Are you freakin' kidding me!?" she yelled to the student in charge of dorm check-ins. The student, though he was at least a foot taller than the five-foot-something Asian freshman, could not help but cower at the look of disbelief and rage currently present on the girl's face.

"I am sorry, ma'am, but due to renovations of some of our dorms and delays in construction for our new suites, we had to come up with some creative solutions to house our freshmen on campus this semester. This was a last resort, trust me," the student said, holding up his hands as if to try and shield himself from the girl's seething anger.

The girl glanced down at her room assignment again and then back up at the student worker. Though she noted early on his name tag read "Brunden" (a horrid name if you asked for the girl's opinion), the girl decided to annoy him some. To her, it would be an outlet to release some of her pent-up frustration and raging anger.

"Now, you listen here, _Brenden_ , I requested a residence in one of the newer dorms situated close to the center of campus, in close proximity to the math and science buildings. As I am sure you were aware from my form, I'm a _mechanical engineering_ major," the Asian student emphasized. "Instead, you have placed me in the oldest of the dorms – which is structurally unsound, mind you – located in the farthest corner of campus, over a _mile_ away from the S.T.E.M. buildings. I don't want to hear your argument that I am near some of the classrooms; those are for _liberal art_ and _fine art_ majors. I don't give a damn about Shakespeare or Mozart. What I do care about is math and science, and I want a room in one of those dorms near the S.T.E.M. buildings – NOW!"

Some of Brunden's cowardice had faded as the girl poked fun at his name. Though that happened to him more times than he could count (he had it on his bucket list to get his name legally changed), it never failed to anger him when someone deliberately got his name wrong. He could not put up with this sort of abuse any longer.

"Now you listen here, ma'am," Brunden began. "I'm only in charge of check-ins, not dorm assignments. If you have a problem with your dorm assignment, you can schedule an appointment to talk with someone in the Office of Student Affairs about getting a room transfer. But, until then, please take your room key and go onto your room. You're in room 305, the corner room on the left side of the building, facing the wooded area." With this, Brunden turned his focus on getting the few other students checked-in and settled. But before he could do this, he felt himself being grabbed by the collar and being pulled downwards.

"Now, you listen here, buddy boy," the engineering student hissed. "If any other issues arise with my dorm assignment today, there will be hell to pay. So that person had better be watching their back, or they'll be sorry they ever tried to mess with me."

With this warning, the student released Brunden. She did so with such fury and force that Brunden stumbled backwards into the table, knocking papers and pens all over the place. The petite girl grabbed her bags from the sidewalk and her papers and dorm key from the table. She then took off toward her dorm, Margaret Allison Memorial Hall. _There had better not be any other surprises with this room assignment_ , the female student thought. _I am not in the mood to deal with anything else_.

* * *

"Who the hell are you? And what the hell are you doing in my room?" she viciously demanded.

He glanced up in the direction of the voice and startled by what he saw. He had expected a six-foot tall, rough and tumble, and, most importantly, male roommate. She was the exact opposite. He noticed her tiny five-foot, three-inch frame and her messy, jet black hair. He was surprised that such anger could come out of such a small thing. "I believe you mean _my_ room," he corrected.

"I think you'll find that this is room 305. It is _mine_ ," the Asian student declared, throwing her bags down on the bed.

"Interesting," he thought out loud. He passed her the paper with his room information on it. "I guess we're roommates. I'm Tobias M. Curtis, but you can call me Toby. I am a biochemistry major with a focus in pre-med and a double minor in psychology and communications. I am going to be a doctor someday."

 _What are we, in second grade?_ she thought to herself. "This cannot be happening," she groaned.

"So, do you have a name?"

"Happy," she informed him. Her face divulged about as much information as a brick wall.

"I asked you your name," Toby stated. "Not your mood."

"And I told you my name," she snapped back. "Not my mood."

"Well, that has got to be the biggest irony in the world," he pointed out. "You seem to be just about the world's unhappiest person."

"Haha, very funny, Doc," Happy said, rolling her eyes. If she was stuck with him, Happy was going to cause someone somewhere some real pain. And with this new surprise, that list only grew longer by the minute.

* * *

 _Sometimes, someone comes into your life, so unexpectedly, takes your heart by surprise, and changes your life forever._ ~Unknown

 _Mid-October_

"Do you have to be so freakin' loud all the time?" Happy snapped at her roommate. He had been humming while he read two books for the past half hour. She couldn't get any work done with the noise.

"I do not, but I enjoy annoying you," Toby replied, the look on his face a cross between a grin and a smirk. "And I am not going to deny myself the simple pleasures in life."

"I hate you," she huffed as she glared at him. Happy clenched her hands into fists on top of her laptop. If only she was working on her most recent engineering project. If she had been working on a machine, she would have a wrench or even better hammer to throw at him. Maybe it would even knock him off his high horse.

"I am well aware of that, sweetheart," her roommate sneered. Toby was not sure why he did it. Surely, it would be better for him to befriend her, or at least make sure that they were on neutral terms. Instead, he annoyed and angered her. Maybe it was because he was an annoying person generally, or maybe he liked the way she got when she was angry. The way Happy's tiny form shook when ticked off turned him on a lot more than it should have.

"F-off, Doc," she said dismissively. Happy turned away from him and endeavored herself to focus on her work. She was trying to work on this whole 'not maiming people' thing. The mechanical engineer had already been in trouble too many times. Dorm and campus administrators already knew her by name (it probably was not the best thing that she often called them by name back).

"Aw, come on, Hap. You know you enjoy spending your time with me," he laughed. He secretly loved riling her up because of how expressive her eyes became as they flashed with annoyance. Toby thought she looked cute her flushed cheeks and pursed pink lips.

"Shut up, Toby." She would never admit how a small part of her enjoyed arguing with him. Happy Quinn did not like his cocky attitude or his smug smile; his wise-guy attitude drove her nuts.

"Yes, ma'am," he mock-saluted her.

 _Ok, if I attack one more person, it won't be that big of a deal_ , she thought. Happy picked up her wrench and threw it across the room. She smirked at the shriek of pain that sounded behind her. Satisfied, she returned to writing her five-page British history paper on her laptop. For Toby, however, he paid for his aggravating arrogance; he had a bump and large bruise on his head for about three weeks after that encounter.

* * *

 _True friends are never apart. Maybe in distance, but never in heart._ ~Unknown

 _Mid-December_

Toby threw his latest novel into his messenger bag and zipped up his suitcase. For the trip home to Brooklyn, he was taking a train cross-country to New York, with connections in Denver and St. Louis. For the return trip, he booked a flight from LaGuardia to LAX, with a three-day layover in Atlanta to visit some cousins. Overall, it would take three days to travel home and four days to travel back to school in California. He had a month-long break from school. However, with his mother's mental illness and his father's days-long absences due to gambling, he did not want to spend any more time at home than absolutely necessary. Toby planned an early return to settle in and get some work done before the spring semester classes started the second week of January.

On the other hand, the biochemistry student was not sure what Happy's holiday plans were. With what little he knew about his roommate's background, Toby knew her mother died as a result of complications from childbirth, and Happy's father was not in the picture. The mechanical prodigy had once mentioned a foster sibling that lived in the area with her husband and two children, but Toby did not know how close the two girls were. Despite her hostility toward people, Toby was one of the few people Happy tolerated on a certain level. Part of him wished he could invite Happy to spend the holidays with him. Nevertheless, the biochemistry major did not feel having a friend over to his home would be good for his mother and her illness. He also did not want to jeopardize his and Happy's friendship, if you could call it that, by pushing the boundaries.

He had been in a brief relationship with a biology major named Amy Harrison, but the discovery she was seeing another psychology student on the side effectively ended Toby's relationship with Amy. Surprisingly, Toby was not as bothered by his girlfriend's infidelity as someone in his position would have been. Truth be told, someone else had occupied his thoughts for some time.

 _I do not know how I would classify my feelings regarding Happy, but I think they are beyond what you would call 'purely platonic,'_ Toby mused to himself as he glanced over at his roommate. Huddled at her desk studying for her American literature and British history finals, Happy paid no attention to Toby as he finalized his packing. He threw throwing his bags next to the door and turned back to Happy; she remained in a hunched-over position at her desk in the far right corner of their dorm room.

"Hey, Hap, my train to Denver leaves in a couple hours," Toby said. "Barring any weather-related issues, I should be back in about three weeks. You have any holiday plans?" Happy remained in her seat as though she had not heard Toby speak.

"Hap, Happy, hidy-ho Hap, you have any plans for the holiday? Hey, Hap, you there, or are you ignoring me like you usually do?" Putting his right hand on her right shoulder, Toby started to lean over when Happy's hand flew up, seemingly ready to hit him to make him go away. Using reflexes he did not realize he possessed, Toby stopped her hand by catching her wrist in mid-air, pulling his petite friend from her seat and bringing Happy into his embrace.

Now with his body aligned flush with hers, Toby stared into his roommate's dark eyes, her cheeks flushed and her lips partially open in surprise. In that moment, Toby made a split-second decision that he knew he would regret later, but he did not care for the consequences in that moment in time. Gently caressing Happy's cheek with his right hand, the Brooklyn, New York, native takes her face into both hands and kisses her. Happy groans into his mouth, but instead of pushing him away, she grabbed Toby's curls on the back of his head and pulled him closer. An inaudible sigh seemed to escape her, almost as if she were surrendering to a fight she knew she would not win. Neither genius knew how long the kiss lasted; it could have been for ten seconds or ten minutes. Time lost all meaning as the kiss deepened.

Soon, however, the spell was broken. A sudden scream outside their dorm room broke the trance, and both students, in breathless shock, broke apart. Staring into Happy's eyes, Toby knew a line had been crossed: he was in love with his best friend. Shocked at his revelation, he could only stare at her as Happy ducked her head and sat on her bed, occupying herself by organizing her textbooks. Unsure of how to deal with the awkward silence, she kept her eyes toward the floor instead of at her roommate who remained standing in front of her.

Toby, uncertain of how to proceed but knowing he had to tread lightly, gently asked Happy his question for the third time. "You have any holiday plans, Hap?"

Glancing up at her roommate, she quietly responded, "Paige Dineen invited me to her uncle Cabe Gallo's house for Christmas. I will go up on Saturday morning and stay through Christmas evening. Stella McBrayer, my foster sister, and her family invited me to their house for the holidays, so I will spend the week between Christmas and New Year's Day with them."

Toby nodded in acknowledgement. "That sounds like a pleasant holiday. I should be back by the fourth of January, so maybe you and I can do something, like skating or a movie, before the classes start back the next week." He glanced at his watch. "Shoot, I am running late. I will have enough time to catch a cab to take me to the train station. You have my cell number and email; you can get a hold of me if you need something – and I mean anything, day or night. Okay?" Nodding in recognition of his comments, Happy moved from her bed to her desk chair to finish studying for her last two final exams.

With one final nod in her direction, Toby grabbed his wallet and bags and exited the dorm room. In the silence, Happy could finally process the events of the past few minutes: she had kissed her roommate, the man she outwardly detested but inwardly liked, someone who, despite their annoying habits, endeared himself to her in a way no one else could. Toby had broken through the walls she had built around her heart and made her feel emotions she had not believed herself capable of feeling.

With this unexpected kiss, she was certain of two things. Firstly, she enjoyed the kiss more than she would admit. Secondly, while she could not explain how she knew this, Toby was someone who would stick around. Again, Happy did not know how or in what capacity, but she knew there was something special about this friendship she had with Toby. Understanding she would not come to a concrete answer about that day's events any time soon, she turned her attention back to studying. But, despite her best efforts, her mind wandered to a tall, lanky student with a love of fedoras, sitting on an eastbound train headed home.

* * *

 _Just wrap me in your arms, in your arms/ I don't wanna be nowhere else/ Take me from the dark, from the dark/ I ain't gonna make it myself/ Put your arms around me/ Put your arms around me/ Let your love surround me/ I am lost/ I am lost/ If I ain't got you here/ If I ain't got you, I ain't got nothing at all._ ~NF, "Can You Hold Me (ft. Britt Nicole)"

 _Why is it that we always fall for our best friend? Is it because we know we can trust them? Is it because we know them so well? Is it because of the way they know exactly what's going on in our heads? Or is it because they are there any day, anytime, anywhere, without the promise of kisses, intimate touches or whispered sentiments of love? I think we love them because they are there when there is nothing in it for them except for that glimmer of hope that maybe someday there will be._ ~Anonymous


End file.
